Do we make a song and dance out of the Eurovision?

That time of year is approaching once again. The month of May brings E-Day – the Eurovision song contest – a day which most of our European counterparts will fail to notice, but one which brings huge excitement, if not hysteria, to us Maltese.

And only people who have been hibernating or on round-the-world trips can have failed to hear what Malta’s candidate for this year’s contest is up to.

Whether we are interested or not, it is hard to miss Ira Losco’s face when we turn on the TV, open a newspaper or drive past a billboard.

Pretty, charming and talented she may be, but since scooping first place in the local festival with a maximum160 for her song ‘7th Wonder’, Ira risks suffering from over-exposure.

As did Fabrizio Faniello last year.

It is an unfortunate fact of Eurovision life that singers need sponsors and sponsors want coverage, so everywhere we look our contestants are leaning on cars, posing in tracksuits or sipping coffee.

And then there are the non-stop accounts of what our representatives are up to, be they video-filmings, CD recordings or country-hopping tours to promote their songs. It all gets a bit yawn-inducing, after a while, doesn’t it?

Well, apparently not. Unlike many of our fellow Europeans we Maltese don’t seem to switch off before the big day dawns. Or perhaps the difference is that the rest of Europe simply doesn’t switch on in the first place.

Malta is among the forerunners in taking this contest, which dates way back to 1956, and the local song festival at which the representative is chosen seriously.

At this year’s Song for Europe festival, a whopping 36,871 people used the televoting system to cast their votes, while last year the figure was a staggering 46,000.

Of course, Malta’s size means we are bound to take the contest more seriously, since it provides a springboard onto the international stage, gets us inside all those houses and onto peoples’ TV screens. It also gives our contestants aspirations of stardom and of breaking into the international market.

In the words of Malta song festival organiser, Charlo Bonnici: "The competition gives Malta the chance to show itself to the world. We should remember that both the island and the talent we have here are on display to a potential viewership of 300 million."

Charlo also defends the fact that our island appears to take the competition more seriously than some of our Eurovision comrades, saying: "Lots of countries take the Eurovision seriously. Perhaps some of the larger countries take it for granted, but certainly, countries like Malta have more to gain than lose by participating."

The fact remains, however, that although Malta might not be the only participant to hype up the Eurovision song contest, many countries regard it with apathy, while in others the competition is positively ridiculed. In the UK, the acerbic wit of veteran host Terry Wogan is regarded as the only saving grace of the overly long and often tedious contest.

His remarks about costumes and tunefulness or lack of it have British viewers who deign to watch the show doubled up with laughter. And sometimes he doesn’t need to try, as was the case when former Israel winner Dana International fell over in her huge dress.

And the British are not the only nation to poke fun at the show – a French Minister of Culture has described the contest as 'A monument to drivel', while the former Norwegian Minister of Culture Åse Kleveland, actually sang in it!

As to whether there is too much hype in promoting Malta’s song around Europe, Charlo stresses this has now become a vital part of the whole event, especially since we do not have natural allies.

Yes, as Mr Wogan points out in his inimitable style, a number of countries, especially the Scandinavian ones, love dishing 12 points to their ‘neighbours’, making a farce of whether talent plays any part in the contest.

So will we be in front of our televisions on 25 May rooting for Ira as she attempts to wow them in Estonia?

Probably, because there’s nothing wrong with a bit of patriotism. But let’s not take the whole thing too seriously. After all, can anyone honestly say they remember the name of last year’s winner, or the one before that?!